Mad Season chpt 1
by Luna
Summary: Obi-Wan and Daylon on a mission to a planet with strange customs....
1. Default Chapter

Title: Bondage

Title: Mad Season  
Date: 2001  
Author: Luna  
Summary: A more serious fic. Obi-Wan and Daylon are sent on a mission to a planet with a… different, and mysterious, culture. Kind of an out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire story with a twist…. (grinning evilly now)  
Disclaimer: Some content. "Mad Season" is property of Matchbox 20.(I thought the words fit Obi's mood in this piece somehow.) Obi is property of Lucas. You know the drill. 

***

Obi-Wan raised his eyes from the floor and sighed. He was running out of patience with his apprentice. For the fortieth time today, Anakin had dropped his saber. He took a deep breath and released his frustration. It would serve him no purpose here.  
"Padawan, do you need more grips on the handle?", he asked, attempting to salvage Anakin's rapidly declining morale.  
"No, master."   
Anakin had really been struggling to get the hang of the narrow, cylindrical weapon. It was starting to appear hopeless.   
"I believe that is enough for today, Ani. You are dismissed." Obi-Wan said. He flicked off his green blade and picked up his tunic. Ani was already gone. _That boy…_ He was unsure about the end of that thought. He had been Ani's Master for three years now, along with Daylon's help, and he still couldn't quite understand him. _Qui-Gon would have been better for him. He would have understood him.   
_"Don't berate yourself."  
Obi-Wan looked up at his friend. She grinned half-heartedly and tossed him a towel.   
"Qui-Gon would be proud, and you know it." She said. Obi-Wan just sighed again. She was probably right, but he didn't feel like giving up his self-loathing yet. It had been one of those days.   
"The council has requested us. And I don't think they would appreciate your smell…" she teased. Despite himself, Obi-Wan chuckled.   
"I can take a hint, Daylon. I'll meet you there."  
She nodded, and left the exercise hall through the rear door. Obi-Wan hit the showers. He would have liked to stay under the cleansing streams of hot water forever, but duty called. _Sorry, duty, nobody's home._ Immediately after the thought appeared, he chastised himself for blowing off his sworn duty so lightly. _Come on, get over it. It's one bad day, and it won't kill you no matter what you think. _That rebuke carried him all the way to the great council room doors, where he was met with a sharp sense of apprehension. The Force was strong in the air. This was usually not a good sign at a council meeting. Daylon was already inside, and Obi-Wan delayed no further. After the perfunctory bow and 'masters', he stood tall next to his friend, ready to receive whatever it was.   
"A mission, we have for you." Master Yoda said in his characteristic backwards prose. Obi-Wan tilted his head, intoning for the sage master to go on, but it was Mace Windu who spoke next. His deep voice echoed in the tall room.  
"This mission is of… delicate matters. Are you familiar with the planet Eros?" he asked. His long fingers were steepled before him.   
"Yes, master. It is a world outside the republic. Dominated by males, it has become well known for its female slave trade," Daylon said.   
"Yes. It is this trade that we are concerned with. It seems as if the traders have run out of easy… merchandise. It is suspected that they are kidnapping women to sell."   
"But it is outside of the republic… we can do nothing about it's trading practices," Obi-Wan said.  
"No, we cannot. That is not the mission. Senator Maltheson, of the Ankari system recently took a trip to Eros, to… make a purchase. He brought along his secretary, Mai Lin. She disappeared, some three weeks ago, and the Senator wants her back. He also wants this to remain top secret. If word ever got out that he went to Eros, his career would be ruined."  
"So you want us to recover a missing woman, just to save some corrupt senator from dirtying his hands?" Daylon asked. There was no anger in her voice, but well concealed venom shimmered in her eyes.   
"You might consider the fact that the Jedi serve the senate, Daylon. It is our duty. But a woman's life is at stake here. You two are to go undercover, and find her."  
"Undercover? As what?" Daylon raised an eyebrow. She obviously did not like where this was heading.   
"Master and slave."  
Mace Windu's words fell like iron on the Jedi's ears. _Slave? Slave! _Obi-Wan could read Daylon's anger at the mention of the word. //_Let it go…//_ he coaxed. And she did. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.   
"When do we leave?"

***

"This is ridiculous. This is insanity!" Daylon muttered, pacing back and forth in the open living area of their shared apartment.   
"It is a mission. Only temporary." Obi-Wan said.   
"Easy for you to say. You aren't the slave!" she snapped. The look on his face softened her hostility though. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't be petty about this, there is a life at risk." She slumped into a chair. Her lean frame radiated defeat, and her eyes closed in a moment's respite.  
"You have a right to feel the way you do. I would be angry too, if I had to play the slave. And not only a slave, but a pleasure slave… how degrading."  
"You are not helping, Kenobi." She grimaced.  
"Don't worry," he said wryly, leaning close to whisper. "_I'll be gentle_."  
She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. If it had been anyone else to make a comment like that, they would be mincemeat by now. But the closeness they shared constituted an odd set of rules, and an even odder sense of understanding. Obi-Wan was just trying to cheer her up, and she appreciated it.  
"You just wait… I'll get you back." She threatened. He bowed down, mockingly.  
"Oh, please don't, master. I bow down in deference to you greatness, spare me!" he said. He got down on all fours.   
"Who's the slave now?" she laughed. "Go get packed, jedi. We still have to explain to Ani."   
"Yes, master."

*

Obi-Wan arranged for a Master to watch Anakin while he and Daylon were away, and made sure that all the necessary equipment made it on board the transport before meeting Mace Windu on a high terrace overlooking Coruscant. The sun was setting, lending a pink light to the mountains of glass and steel.   
"Master, you asked to meet with me?"   
"Yes, Obi-Wan. I wanted to give you the data for your briefing. You will find it useful, I'm sure." He tossed a small data pad to Obi-Wan, who caught it effortlessly. Taking a more relaxed stance, Mace folded his arms and chuckled lightly.   
"Oh, if Qui-Gon could see you now. I'm sure he does."   
Qui-Gon Jinn and Mace Windu had been close friends. They were something of a Temple legend, even. Tales of their younger days were always floating about. Embellished, Obi-Wan was sure, but nonetheless exciting. Mace had not mourned Qui-Gon's death though. He said that the master had simply passed into another state, and was still very much a part of their lives.  
"You have changed so much… grown up." Mace reflected. "I can feel him in you. His being is ingrained in yours. He is your vigilante."  
"Yes." Obi-Wan said.  
"And if he could be here right now, he would pat you on the shoulder, give a sage piece of advice, and bid you good luck. So I will do the same. Remain objective, Obi-Wan, but do not ignore your own feelings in this. May the Force be with you."

*

Buzzing through deep space like a shooting star, the _Chamelion_ did not veer from its direct course to Eros. The pilot had been instructed to get there quickly, and he would not fail. He was secure in his purpose, confident in his abilities. Which was something Obi-Wan was not. He and Daylon sat in a small room watching their briefing. It was explicit. They were to infiltrate the society of traders, and 'buy' Mai Lin back without arousing suspicion. Erosian society was somewhat of a mystery though. It was known that men were dominant there, and that women were objects. Besides that, there was no other information. The ruler of the planet, Kama, was said to be very powerful, carefully guarding the secrets of the trade, but no one had ever seen him. At least, no one would speak of it if they had. Obi-Wan glanced at Daylon. Her face was impassive, green eyes staring straight ahead. The data went on. Obi-Wan would play the part of Ben Jinn, a rich businessman. Daylon would simply be whatever name he called her. She had no history, and no future. She was his slave, bought five years ago, while he was visiting an associate. They had a great sum of money at their disposal, courtesy of Senator Maltheson, which they would use to secure lodging. Once that had been accomplished, they would work their way into the society of the traders, and try to track down Mai Lin.   
There was one last thing on the data pad: attire. The Senator had lent them an entire wardrobe it seemed, all exotic articles with little fabric. Daylon looked at it in disgust.   
"They expect me to wear this?" she asked, holding up a nearly transparent dress and frowning. Obi-wan looked at it, and tried to divert his thoughts.   
"Where are the shoes?" he asked.  
"I don't think an outfit like this requires shoes."   
"No, look. There are no shoes at all."  
"Perhaps shoes are taboo." Daylon offered. It was not unheard of. But it would be another annoyance.   
"Maybe… and I suppose shirts are taboo as well," he muttered, picking up pair after pair of trousers.   
"There's a jacket," she pointed, "I'm going to get changed… I'll be right back."  
Obi-Wan nodded. He played back the information on Eros in his mind, making sure that it was all there. Pulling out a pair of loose black pants and a blue jacket, he quickly changed, and carefully hid his saber in a pack. A muffled thump came from the adjacent room.   
"Are you all right?"   
"Yes. I just tripped on this… train of sorts. How am I supposed to wear this?"  
"Do you need help?"  
"No! I can manage to dress myself thank you." The voice became clearer as she stepped through the doorway. The clothing was complicated, but scarce. Sheer white fabric layered over pants in the style of an overly large tunic draped her body. Obi-Wan reserved the thoughts that came to his head for later meditation, and focused. They landed soon, and they needed to figure out a way to scope out behavioral patterns beforehand. It was decided that Obi-Wan would venture out alone at first, equipped with a small recording device. He would meet with a man contacted earlier: the one who would provide them their lodging, and their link to inner society. 

Obi-Wan's first impression of Eros was one of splendor. Tropical and green, it was absolutely alive. Tall buildings' spires perched on eliptical domes reached above the trees. Warm sunlight and a cool breeze perfected the fantasy image. He was met by a group of human women, who placed flowers around his neck and spoke to him in a tongue he did not recognize. One spoke to him in basic though, and she explained that she would take him to meet Jaq, their first contact. Obi-Wan followed the women to a transport, in which he alone was taken to a grand estate. More women to greet him there; _this place must have a population ratio of 20 to 1… the are so many of them, _he thought. He was practically shoved into a cool hall with marble floors and vaulted ceilings. 

"Come in, come in. What can I do for you?" called a man's voice. Obi-Wan moved down the hall until he came to a sitting area, occupied by whom he assumed to be Jaq, and three women.   
"Jaq, I presume?"   
"Guilty. And you are?" Jaq asked.  
"Ben. Ben Jinn. I believe we spoke briefly?"  
"Ah, yes. The property, renting for an extended visit. I remember now." Jaq laughed. He was older than Obi-Wan, but still young. He seemed… altered. _Drugs I'll bet._ The women were surrounding him constantly. One laid across his lap, another ran her hands down his chest, and the third one was kissing and biting his neck. He seemed amused by them, and responded to their touch occasionally, but otherwise he remained undisturbed.   
"Go and get your belongings, and I will show you the place." Jaq said, pulling one of the girl's top off. "I have… business to attend to at the moment."  
Obi-Wan did not need to be told twice. He quickly exited and returned to the transport, where he found Daylon a little miffed. She was in her classic pout position: chin resting on hand, lips pursed on pushed slightly out, brows knit.   
"Did you get… sufficient information for your 'role'?" he asked. She huffed. "Come on now…don't do that. Whatever happened to 'you're right, Obi-Wan', and 'we have to remain objective'?" he continued. _Wow, that's the second death glare I've caught this week, I'd better watch it.  
_"I heard that," Daylon said, standing up.   
"Are you sure you're up to this though? Those women were quite…. Impressive."  
"Oh, you think I can't do it? I can do it!"   
"I didn't say anything. I just don't know if you can act… seductive."  
"Seductive? Oh, I'll give you seductive, Kenobi. You just wait and see…"  
Obi-Wan chuckled. He was of the sound opinion that she would fall flat on her face. Boy, was he wrong. 

*

Back at Jaq's estate, Obi-Wan and Daylon entered the hall again, but Jaq wasn't there. A servant informed them that the master was waiting for them in the gardens. Which is exactly where they met him. He was standing, admiring a tree full of blossoms. He was short, with black hair, and yellow-gold eyes. Daylon noticed his hands. They were large, but his fingers were short, and his palms were smooth. He was not accustomed to physical labor.  
"Ben, glad you're back," he said, shaking Obi-Wan's hand, while at the same time letting his eyes wander to Daylon. "Is this your servant? Great choice, truly commendable," he muttered. He stood beside Daylon and smelled her hair. "Clean, healthy." His gaze roved downwards. "And a nice frame." Daylon smiled and winked, giving a 'come-hither' glance. Jaq was about to touch one of her breasts when Obi-Wan caught his wrist.   
"Don't."  
"Ah, I see. A man who takes care of his possessions… I like that. Does she have a name?"  
"Yes…" Obi-Wan searched. They hadn't talked of this. "Anya."  
"Well, _Anya_," Jaq said, "It has truly been a pleasure. This way please." He proceeded to show them the grounds, and the apartment they would be staying in. It was large and spacious, again with high ceilings. Soft carpeted floors led them from a front hall, to a living space, and through a doorway into the single bedroom. There was also a small kitchen, adjacent to the living area.   
"It will do nicely, we'll take it," Obi-Wan said.   
"Great," Jaq grinned, "Great. May I have a word with you outside, Ben?"  
"Certainly." He nodded to Daylon, and followed Jaq out. They walked for a short while before anything was said.   
"Your Anya… she is beautiful. Is she your only servant?" Jaq asked.  
"Yes. Why?"  
"Well, I have never met a man with just one servant. Does she fulfill your needs?"  
Obi-Wan's mind stuttered. "Yes. She does."  
Jaq grinned. "She must be a fabulous lay."   
If it hadn't been for the fact that he was on a mission, he would have hit Jaq. Hard. But instead he just mimicked his host's grin and nodded.   
"Still, you really should try other types. I will take you to a trade tomorrow night, maybe we can find you some more nookie. In the meantime, we shall celebrate your arrival. Dinner will be at seven, in the dining hall of the main building. Come dressed."  
"We will, thank you." Obi-Wan said. _Did he mean dressed for dinner, or just dressed period? I wouldn't be surprised…  
_"Well, I must be off. See you… and Anya… at seven." Jaq walked away in a hurry.   
_Seven. Right._

*

"That man is detestable." Daylon spat, rifling through her pack and pulling out her saber. She tucked it under the mattress of the bed. _If there ever was a time to use a saber…_Obi-Wan was in the garden speaking to him now. She didn't truly wish to kill Jaq though. He was of little importance to the mission, and a minor nuisance.   
"I don't know about that. We will be required to spend a great deal of time in his company." Obi-Wan said, flopping down on the bed. He loved soft beds. They were so much better than the temple sleep couches.   
"When?"  
Obi-Wan sat up, puzzled. "When what?"  
"When do we have to spend time with that creep?"  
"Oh, that. Tonight. Dinner at seven."  
"And the trades?"  
"Tomorrow."  
"That was quick."  
"Yeah, well, when he saw that I only had one servant, he declared me to be deprived. Said I needed more 'nookie'. So we're off to a trade tomorrow."  
"I'd rather have you deprived than depraved. Nookie my ass."  
"Daylon!" Obi-Wan grinned.  
//_Shhh! This place might be bugged, so no names. Come to think of it, don't say anything remotely pertaining to the mission.//  
//You're right. Okay.//_ Obi-Wan glanced out of the window. "Be prepared to leave in an hour, Anya."  
"Yes, Master," she purred. _//Should I call you master? Or Ben?//  
//I don't know… I kind of like master…// _He smirked._  
//You have a dirty mind, Obi-Wan Kenobi//  
//Do I?//  
_Daylon swatted at him to get out of the room.   
"Okay, okay, I'm going. Just be ready, okay?"  
"Yes, _Ben"  
_"Oh, that stings."  
"Get out already."  
Daylon went to her wardrobe and opened it up. _I've never really had that much of a choice in dress before,_ she realized. _What to wear, what to wear…_She finally decided on an iridescent red dress. Evening gown style. _This ought to do nicely…_she thought with a grin. First Obi-Wan had told her that she couldn't be seductive, and then Jaq had said that she was an insufficient servant… she would go to dinner, and be the most seductive woman there! At least, she hoped that she would. Making the final adjustments to her attire, she stepped out into the main room, where Obi-Wan was waiting. It had taken her longer to dress than she had thought. It was already a quarter till seven.   
"So, what do you think?" she asked. Obi-Wan glanced up.   
"Nice."  
"Is that all?"  
He remained silent, just looking up at her. From where he sat on the sofa, she towered over him. Daylon did not think that it was a good place for him to be at that moment. "Come on, let's go" she huffed.   
Obi-Wan closed off sections of his mind and put them away. He had to focus. _Come on, this is Daylon we're talking about._ He held out an arm, which she refused. _Guess I should have complimented her…too late now._ He thought.   
They walked through the jungle-like gardens to the main building.   
//_Ready? // _he asked. She didn't answer, but she was. As soon as they entered the dining hall, she completely transformed. She walked with unbelievable feline grace, swaying just so, and her posture was… enticing. Obi-Wan was utterly shocked. All eyes were on her as she walked beside him.   
"Ben, Anya, come in. Have a seat." Jaq greeted. He stood as they came closer. "Anya, you look stunning."  
"Thank you," she said. Her voice was different. She… purred. Jaq's jaw literally dropped. Obi-Wan's would have followed, had he not caught it.  
"May I borrow her sometime?" Jaq asked.   
"We'll see," Obi-Wan said. He took a seat. Daylon sat next to him, staying very close.   
"Dinner is extra special tonight. I had my chef pull out all the stops." Jaq explained. He went on for a minute or so about the food and the splendor. Obi-Wan wasn't paying attention. First of all, the mindless talk was boring. And second, Daylon was practically in his lap. One hand was on his back, the other at the back of his neck. At first, he wondered what the hell she was doing, but then he saw that she was only mimicking the other servants.   
"Eh, Ben?" Jaq asked.  
"I'm sorry, what?" Obi-Wan perked up.  
"I asked you if you wanted to eat now."  
"Yes, I do," he said. Jaq clapped his hands and the meal was brought out. Daylon slid back into her own seat, but kept her eyes on him, giving the impression of an adoring servant. It was driving Obi-Wan mad. //_Will you stop that? //  
//Stop what? //  
//Stop… doing what you're doing! //  
//Does it make you nervous? //  
//No. Just, turn it down a little, okay? //  
//Sorry, can't do that. It would be suspicious. //  
//Daylon! //  
//Just relax, Obi. I won't bite. Hard. //_  
Obi-Wan could feel the smirk in her voice. He would just have to ignore her. Which was fine with him. If she wanted to play, she would just have to play alone. He pushed his food around on his plate.  
"So, Anya, where do you come from?" Jaq asked over a glass of wine.   
"Iona. I haven't been there since I was a kid though." She replied.   
"Iona is a free system. How did you get into the slave trade?"  
"Oh…when I was eighteen I was 'recruited' to the Mahari complex on Tatooine." The Mahari complex was a training facility, dealing in slaves and prostitution. It was quite elite, actually, only taking the best of the captured 'merchandise'.  
"Mahari, eh? You must have learned a lot there…" Jaq grinned.  
"Everything. And then some." Daylon was having fun with this. Obi-Wan just knew it.   
"Maybe you could show me some time?"  
"You would have to ask my master about that. I am very good… I don't know if he will want to share."  
"I am sure we could work something out."  
"Some other time, Jaq. Tell me about the trade we attend tomorrow." Obi-Wan interrupted.  
"Oh, you don't want to hear about that. There are other things to talk about. Or," he said, grinning again, "We could play an after-dinner game…"  
"No, I want to hear about the trade, please."   
"I do too." Daylon purred. It worked. Jaq sighed.  
"This is the Equinox Trade, very important. Kama purchases at this trade."   
Obi-Wan remembered that Kama was the mysterious ruler of Eros. "Continue," he said.  
"Well, the whole day is a festival, really. It starts at noon, with the bazaar. Merchants from all over come… really spectacular. It breaks around six for meals and resumes in the arena at eight. There is a lower trade until ten, and then the fun starts. The higher trade- the really choice stuff- goes until midnight. Kama attends the higher trade, of course."  
"Will you be purchasing?" Obi-Wan asked.  
"It depends. Maybe." Jaq said. "Why?" Now that he had finished his meal, the women were surrounding him again.  
"No reason."   
Daylon scooted closer once more, placing a hand on his shoulder. _She's just following character,_ he told himself. She was even closer now. He could smell lavender.   
"Would you like to see my ladies' gardens, Anya?" Jaq asked. He was trying to get Obi-Wan alone.   
"I would." Said Daylon, standing up. She leaned over Obi-Wan. "Behave, or I'll have to punish you later."  
Obi-Wan was getting sick of this. "What if I want you to?" he countered. A second's shock registered on her face, replaced quickly by a smirk. "You _are_ naughty." She laughed as she left the room. The other women were ahead of her.  
"She's a real firecracker." Jaq said.  
"Yes, she is, isn't she." Obi-Wan sighed. It felt like he had just won a battle. _But I'm far from winning the war,_ he thought.  
"How long will you and Anya be staying here?"  
"Oh, I don't know… it could be a week, it could be three."  
"Good, good. You'll be here for the Shank'ra El'yah then?"  
"Pardon?"  
"The Shank're El'yah, the festival of Kama. It is four days after the Equinox trade."  
"I am not sure. Perhaps."  
"It's a load of fun. The whole planet becomes a playground."  
"I should like to see that."  
"You will. I believe that you will…"  
Obi-Wan leaned forward in his seat. "What do you really want to talk about, Jaq?" he asked.  
"Oh… nothing." Jaq lied.  
"Go ahead, ask me whatever you want."  
"Where are you really from, Ben Jinn?"  
He was caught slightly off guard with the question.   
"It is obvious that you are not the Erosian native that you claim to be." Jaq prodded. Obi-Wan's mind raced for a second, and then he relaxed. He would just have to bend their story.  
"You've got me, Jaq. It's true- I'm not from here. Though, I wish I was. I was born on Coruscant. I came here once a long time ago, and absolutely loved it. So I came back. And here I am."  
Jaq bought it completely. "I understand you, my friend. It is all too easy to become enslaved by my planet's beauty. I do not blame you for claiming birth here."  
Obi-Wan had played on Jaq's pride, turning the conversation from his deception to the beauty of Eros. And it had worked perfectly. Jaq rambled for a bit longer, and then stood up.   
"Come, I want to show you the gardens I built for my ladies." he said. "You can retrieve Anya there as well."  
Obi-Wan followed him through a hallway to a vaulted doorway, leading outside. The garden was a square enclosure, with an abundance of tropical plants. Numerous fountains and chimes made ambient, yet soothing noise. They walked to the center of the garden where Jaq's ladies sat, along with Daylon, in a sunken area lined with benches.   
"Ah, ladies, it is a beautiful night," Jaq exclaimed. It was. Daylon glided to Obi-Wan's side and caught his hand.   
//_It's late//_ she said. Obi-Wan did not physically acknowledge her comment. Instead, he said something to Jaq that she could not catch. Jaq grinned and bowed a goodnight farewell. They left through the back door of the garden. Once they were out of the light from the main building, Daylon let go of the hand she had been holding.   
"What did you say to him?" she asked.   
"Oh, I just reminded him that I was still awaiting punishment. He understood." Obi-Wan chuckled.   
"That man is disturbing."  
"You've said that before."  
"I have? Well, I meant it."  
"That's a far cry from the way you were acting towards him at dinner."   
"That's different." She said.  
Obi-Wan stopped walking and looked at her. He could just see her eyes in the darkness. "You are a paradox, Daylon. Like two different people." He said, suddenly reflective. She did not know what to say for a moment.   
"No, Obi-Wan. It is you who are two personalities."  
She walked the last few meters to their apartment, leaving him standing in the dark, alone. _What does she mean, it is me? She is the one who changes. Not me… Not me…_ The words kept replaying in his mind: "_It is you who are two personalities"_ He just couldn't understand. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi knight. He was constant. Steady. He did _not_ change! Searching his memory, he tried to find instants in which he had been different. But nothing came to mind. He could see Daylon changing: from Jedi to seductress; from closest friend to object of desire. But couldn't all of those changes been partly a change of his perception? Yes, they could. But his demeanor had not changed at those times. _But she doesn't see my demeanor. She sees _me. _The me that no one else sees. _This dawned on Obi-Wan in almost slow motion. The change in perception had been instigated by a change in him. But what had instigated that?   
This weighed on his mind for a few minutes more before he decided to go inside. Sleep had always been therapeutic for him. _That's what I need- sleep._ He scooped up the mess in his mind and locked it away. Inside, he reached out with the force. Daylon was in the bedroom, getting ready for bed. He knocked on the door softly.   
"Are you decent?" he asked. A laugh from inside indicated that she was. He opened the door to find her sitting on the bed, legs crossed, staring at the ceiling. She was wearing his clothes.   
"Sorry about that," she said, picking up on his observation. "I wasn't provided with sleep clothes, or anything resembling them, so I just borrowed some things of yours. You don't mind, do you?"  
"No, not at all." He paused. "What are you looking at?"  
She gestured for him to come closer. "The dome in the ceiling. It becomes transparent at night, and the stars are incredible."  
Obi-Wan flopped onto the bed beside her. It was soft. If there was one thing he enjoyed about missions, it was soft beds. Anything beat the not-so-comfortable-but-good-for-your-back sleep couches at the temple. He scooted around until he was on his back, with his hands behind his head. Daylon did her best to stay out of his way.  
"I hope you don't fidget like that in your sleep. And take your boots off!" she said lightly. Obi-Wan complied.   
"We will be sharing the bed then?" he asked. The possibility of being so close to someone he couldn't understand at the moment, when he couldn't even understand himself, bothered him slightly.   
"I think it's necessary. From what I got from Jaq's servants, he wanders around at night."  
"Lovely. So we have to play even while asleep?"  
"Looks like it, so get comfy." Daylon smiled dryly. "But not too comfy. I don't want any snoring, blanket stealing, or cold feet, got it?"  
Obi-Wan laughed. It was sort of a joke of theirs. They had shared beds before, and it wasn't objectionable at all, but there was one time… on a mission to a very cold world. They had been separated from Qui-Gon, and lost. Night fell, and there was nowhere to go and nothing to do except wait and keep warm. So they had set up a mock camp in a cave. To conserve warmth, they had doubled up their survival blankets and huddled together, talking to stay awake. She had told him not to snore, and he had told her not to kick. The blanket stealing and cold feet followed. They had been about sixteen then… it seemed like a long time ago.   
"That was as fun as hypothermia will ever get." Daylon sighed.   
"Yes, I have to agree with you on that." He got up abruptly, jostling the bed again.   
"Where are you going?"  
"To change. Be right back. Don't miss me too much."  
//_Don't worry. //_  
"Ha!" came the call from the bathroom. A minute later he came back, dressed in loose pants.   
"No shirt?" Daylon raised an eyebrow.  
"I wasn't provided with shirts, remember? Except for my own tunic, which you are wearing."  
"Oh. Well then when's the last time you showered?"  
"This morning! Right after someone used the hot water, as I remember it. And I wouldn't be talking. You're the one who has chosen to sleep in my dirty tunic."   
"Dirty? You brought a dirty tunic on the trip here?"  
"I didn't exactly have the time to do laundry. Besides," he leaned over and sniffed Daylon's shoulder, "It doesn't smell all that bad."  
"No, it smells like you, that's all."  
"Ouch. At least I remembered to bring a tunic from the ship. Admit it, you owe me. "  
"Oh, yes, master, I am at your service. Of course."  
"Don't mock me! I'm serious. Without my tunic you would be at a disadvantage."  
"No, I would just wear something else."  
"I'd like to see you try to sleep in one of those weird outfits."  
"I would take you up on that challenge, but it isn't necessary and I'm tired."  
"A great reason to do anything."  
"Shut up and get to bed already." She used the force to throw a pillow at him.   
"Yes, Master. I wouldn't want to be hurt by the flying pillows."  
She threw another one as he was pulling back the sheets, and it cuffed his head.  
"Hey!" He picked up a pillow and threw it at her.   
"I am not going to get into a pillow fight with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi."  
"Why? Afraid that I might win?" he smirked. But only for a short moment, as a pillow flew at his head. In minutes, the place was a mess and the pair were sprawled across the bed, laughing.   
"Remember the time we did that in the temple gardens with those Shala Flowers?" Daylon asked.  
"You mean those big fluffy things that grow on that one bush? Yes, I remember. Yoda got caught in the crossfire." He chuckled.   
"That was the day I learned to respect the gimmer stick."  
"That was also the day that I learned how funny master Yoda could look with fluff all over him."  
They both laughed at the memory of the short green master covered in white flowers. Daylon got up and piled the pillows into the corner. Then she powered the illumination down to ten percent and slid under the covers.   
"Goodnight Obi-Wan." She yawned. Within minutes, she was asleep. Jedi learned from an early age how to utilize rest hours by going directly into deep sleep. Likewise, they learned how to go from a deep sleep into full awareness in seconds. Obi-Wan would not need that this night though, and let his thoughts drift. The windows were open, and a warm breeze blew through the room, yet Obi-Wan shivered. He slipped under the sheets, careful not to wake Daylon.   
_What to think about… No idea where Mai Lin is. Jaq had nothing to do with it. I didn't feel any lingerings in the Force. She was never at this location, that's for sure. Maybe at the trades. We'll find something there, I can sense it. Or is it that something will happen? _He closed his eyes and tried to grab hold of the whispers in the Force, but they slipped away. _Nothing…Where I started…_ His thoughts became gradually clouded, slowing down until sleep swallowed him into blackness.

__

The light shone in his eyes, making it difficult to see, but he knew where he was: the temple gardens. Daylon was there… but she was different. She was younger, maybe sixteen. He watched as she walked towards him, skipping. The closer she got though, her gait changed. She was walking with a steady stride now; now a comfortable sway… and as she covered the last few feet her pace was a slow almost prowl. He had been watching her feet, but now he looked up to see the face of twenty-eight year old Daylon. She smirked at him. "What's the matter Obi?" she asked. "Afraid?"  
"No," he stammered, watching from oddly distanced eyes as she leaned close and brushed a soft kiss on his lips.   
"I think you are," she said. Time slowed down to a heartbreaking pace. Obi-Wan blinked and it seemed an eternity before light reentered his eyes. When it finally did, Daylon was gone. He could smell her though, light lavender hovering where she was. Inhaling deeply, he couldn't believe that she was gone. He called out for her in vain, and hung his head. "I'm not afraid," he murmured.   
"Obi-Wan, self denial will not help you," came a familiar voice from behind him.  
"Master?"  
"Yes, Padawan."  
"But, you… I saw it-"  
"There is an explanation. You are dreaming." Qui-Gon said, laughing. Obi-Wan frowned slightly. "So, what is it that you wish to ask me?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"There must be something weighing on you, Obi-Wan, or else your subconscious wouldn't have summoned me. Think…"  
"I… don't know if this is the sort of thing that I could speak of…"  
Qui-Gon sighed and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "A woman."  
"Yes… Sort of. It's Daylon."  
"Tell me about it,"  
Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to sigh. "Master, I don't know what to do. She keeps… changing. She is my closest friend, and she always will be, but sometimes – especially lately – she has seemed something else. I find myself extremely attracted to her. I don't know why."  
"It's rather obvious, padawan. You are good friends, partners in raising Anakin, and partners on this mission. It seems only natural that one or both of you would be interested in taking the next step."  
"But that would ruin everything—"  
"Would it?"  
Obi-Wan paused.  
"What would it ruin, padawan?"  
"We wouldn't be allowed to work together,"  
"Says who?"  
"The council, I suppose,"  
"But do you know_?"  
"No, I don't."  
"So it is a possibility that your working relationship would remain unchanged."  
"Yes." Obi-Wan conceded.  
"What else?"  
"We… we couldn't be friends anymore."  
At this Qui-Gon laughed. "Couldn't be friends? You'd be the best kind of friends!"   
Obi-Wan looked down sheepishly. "What if it didn't work out? Then what?"  
"What if the sun died? Do you really think that a romantic relationship between the two of you would end bitterly, if it ended at all? Is Daylon one to hold a grudge?"  
"No,"  
"Granted, you have quite a temper, but I think that she could straighten you out there…."  
"Master." Obi-Wan knitted his brows. "This is serious."  
"Is it?"  
"What do you mean? Of course it's serious!"  
"I see. Something that should be thoroughly analyzed and weighed before a decision is made? A sort of scientific matter, then?"  
"Scientific? No."  
"Then what?"  
Obi-Wan was slightly bewildered. His master was asking him to define the nature of subconscious decision-making. And he had no idea.  
"I will give you a hint padawan. It has nothing to do with thinking."  
"The force?"  
"No, Obi-Wan. Your heart." He poked the young man in the chest with two fingers. "Love is a matter of the heart. What does it say to you?"  
"I don't know… She seems to be two people. I just saw her go from a child to an adult as she walked toward me. I don't know what it means."  
"A child to an adult, eh? Are you sure she didn't grow from a girl into a woman?"  
It was like a light flickered in Obi-Wan's mind. His Master had something here…  
"I think I am beginning to understand, master."  
Qui-Gon smiled. "Good."  
"Just one more thing-- How do I approach her?"  
"How you always approach her. With complete honesty and openness. One of the benefits of being a jedi is that jedi say what they feel. There is very little game-playing. You know this. Apply it."  
"Thank you, master."  
"You are welcome, my padawan. May the Force be with you."  
Before Obi-Wan could say goodbye, his Master was gone, and he was left standing in the gardens. The sound of rippling water made him turn around. Daylon was there. ..  
"Daylon…"  
"_Yes? Obi-Wan?" She shook his shoulder. "Wake up, we have to get ready."  
"Ready for what? I'm ready," he murmured.  
"No, you are not ready, now get up!" She used the force to pull him to his feet.   
"Okay, all right, I'm going…"

***

__

Jaq slipped from his room, making sure that no one would notice his exit. Silently, he got dressed in the dark, and made his way outside. It was just past midnight, the night before auction day. His new guests should be just settled in now… He had wondered about Jinn's girl since he first saw her. He couldn't decide whether she was nothing, or an explosion waiting to happen. But dinner had really piqued his interest. She was obviously very hot, maybe too hot. And she had turned him down too…. That really irked him. He wasn't used to being dismissed by a woman. At least he would be able to watch her… even if it was with Jinn.   
He walked up to the French doors that opened on the bedroom and pushed them inwards. They swung open without a sound. There was the prize, in bed… asleep. And so was Jinn.   
Damn! He was right the first time, she was nothing. Nothing to him, at least. And apparently nothing to Jinn. This made Jaq pause to think. A girl like that… no one wanted one. So maybe he would do his guest a little favor… Say, get him a better deal? Maybe a deal that wouldn't object to spending some time with Jaq too, eh? Yes, that was it.  
He started to turn to go when he heard a noise. A soft grating… he peeked in again. A glass of water was moving across the dresser. As he watched, it lifted up and over to the bed, where Anya reached up for it! Jaq waited until she had turned over again before he ran. 

"Yes, Hash? It's Jaq… I have a proposition for you… there's this girl I think you'd be interested in. She's a force-sensitive."  
***

At breakfast the table was unusually silent. Jaq was without his lady escorts for once, and he ate his meal intently.   
"I am looking forward to the Equinox trade, Jaq." Obi-Wan ventured. "What time must we leave?"  
At this Jaq perked up. "Eleven. You two will enjoy it immensely. I'm sure."  
"Is there anything I should know before we leave?"   
"No, no. I will explain whatever you do not know as we go along. There are really no rules… except Anya must wear white."  
"White?" Obi-Wan asked. He glanced at Daylon, but she said nothing.  
"Yes, it is the appropriate color for women at the Equinox."  
He nodded. White. Got it.   
Daylon sniffed slightly.  
//_What?//  
//Nothing, it's just… white. Kind of tame for Eros, don't you think?//  
//I suppose…//_

//I should just be glad it isn't red.//

//Me too.//  
"Are you satisfied with your meal?" Jaq asked.  
"Yes, very much. Thank you."  
"And you, Anya?"  
"Yes. Thanks."  
"Well I must depart now, to prepare, I will meet you in the front hall at eleven." He said. After he had gone, Daylon sighed. Obi-Wan knew what she was feeling—dread.  
*

Daylon stood in the large bathroom, and started to prepare herself. They were going to a slave trade arena, where women would be the prize, and she needed to set her mind to 'caution'. There were many dangers. If she showed any emotion, she would stand out as someone not accustomed to slave trading. That would be detrimental. So she meditated for a while, and focused on tapping into the force. She would need it. A few moments later she had found the white garment she was to wear. It was sheer and tight, and not at all to her liking. But it was the only white thing besides her underwear, and _that_ was not an option. She ran a brush through her long hair and looked in the mirror. She didn't look bad. Actually, she might pass for pretty. _I wonder if he will notice._   
She looked at herself closely. What had she just thought? Why would it matter if anyone noticed, much less him? But what startled her most was that _he_ was Obi-Wan. _How odd…_ She couldn't look at herself anymore. She left the bathroom quickly, brushing past Obi-Wan on the way out.   
"Are you all right?" he asked. She turned around slowly, collecting herself.   
"I'm fine."

*

The arena was not what Obi-Wan had expected. It was more like an opera house than a slave auction. Formally dressed men crowded the floor. A few women servants here and there wore fine gowns, and clung to their masters. Daylon was not clinging to anyone though. She walked behind them, assuming a submissive posture again. It almost pained Obi-Wan to see her look so… defeated. She had only truly looked like that once before, many years ago. But there was no time to remember. Jaq practically dragged them across the floor to a private box.   
"So this is the standard auction. I'm not buying tonight, but you feel free to go ahead. This is Wen's box, he's a colleague of mine, he lets me use it. Up we go," Jaq rambled. He pushed a button and the box shot up a few meters. From there they could easily see the auctioning stage. The lights flickered twice.   
"Here we go," Jaq said. Obi-Wan could sense Daylon tensing up beside him. He knew it was difficult for her to see other women peddled, unwillingly, for profit. Hell, it was difficult for him. He reached over and squeezed her hand. //_It's okay//_ She eased up a little, but not entirely.   
The auction started. A tall man walked up to the center with a sound amplifying device.   
"Welcome to the arena, gentlemen! Bidders get ready… here we go! Our first item is a lovely tw'ilek female, aged twenty standard years. Do I have twenty thousand? Twenty? Twenty five?"  
Obi-Wan leaned towards Jaq. "How do they price them, these days?" he asked.   
"It generally starts at one thousand for every standard year up to thirty five, and then it levels off. If she's particularly nice, maybe they'll start at twenty thousand over standard. The most I've ever seen is a twenty-five year old iegan go for one hundred eighteen. She was something…"  
Obi-Wan nodded. That meant that if Mai Lin had been sold, her starting price would have been thirty thousand. They could check transaction records to see who had spent that amount the week of Mai's disappearance. Meanwhile, the bids went on. The tw'ilek went for thirty thousand. Another woman was brought out. Daylon watched in disgust. She didn't want to think of what it would be like, to be up there, in heavy chains, displaying her 'assets'. Most of the women were crying. It ripped at her soul to see them. _Gods, how can these men do this? Who gave them the right to buy and sell other people?_   
Obi-Wan felt no different. He sat and endured though, watching the crowd more than the show, looking with the force. He saw nothing. No one there had anything to hide. That in itself was a little disturbing. Each mind was utterly open, not caring what anyone would think. Even non-force-users shielded to some extent, making it possible for Obi-Wan to detect the willingness of the person to be read. But these people… He focused on one man towards the front. The man was waving a bidding chip over his head, but in his mind he was attacking the woman on display in some violent fantasy. Obi-Wan backed out quickly. He suddenly had a new appreciation for mental shields. He tested to see if Daylon's were up. They were. Tight. She was pouting again. Except it was a contemplative pout. Looking to his left he saw that he wasn't the only observant one. Jaq was openly staring at Daylon.   
"Is there something on you mind Jaq?" Obi-Wan asked. Immediately, he wished he hadn't, because he scanned Jaq reflexively. Before he could withdraw he was bombarded with extremely erotic images, all featuring Daylon. Or Anya, as she was being called in the dream. He slammed his mind shut and tried to block out the sights playing in his head, but it was too late. They were already there. All of this took maybe a millisecond to occur, but it haunted Obi-Wan for quite some time afterwards.  
The auction wrapped up at ten, and they left their box to get some fresh air before the high auction started. Daylon followed Obi-Wan and Jaq through the crowd to the side door. When it was opened, cool air rushed up to greet her. "Ahh, this is so much better." She sighed.   
"Yes, it can get quite stagnant in there," Jaq muttered. He pulled out a cigar and offered one to Obi-Wan. "Jinn?"  
"No thank you. How long do we have?"  
"Not long. We should probably go back now."  
As they reentered, Daylon got a totally different sense from the room. It was much more crowded than before, if it was possible, and there were different minds here… stronger minds. It was all a jumble of thoughts and emotions, making it hard to feel what was coming from where, but she could definitely tell that something was wrong.   
//_Obi-Wan,//_

//Yes. I feel it too. It must be the energy of the auction, the tension.//

//No,//

//Daylon, calm down, you're going to blow our cover.//  
//I mean it, something is wrong.//  
//Don't worry, It'll all be over soon.//

//I hope you're right//  
She tried to grasp his hand, but the crowd was too thick, so she tried to stay as close as she could.   
"Is that Kama?" Obi-Wan asked, pointing to a large box with the privacy curtains drawn.   
"Yes, It is…" Jaq started. Daylon was losing them. She tried to push through, but it was getting harder and harder…   
She jumped as a hand fell on her shoulder, and another over her mouth. Before she could reach out for Obi-Wan, a force-restricting collar was snapped around her neck. She was alone. Her hands bound behind her back with some sort of cloth. More hands lifted her up and started to carry her towards the back of the hall. _Someone help me! Obi-Wan…  
_She could only guess that they were behind the stage of the hall, because of the many girls in chains. It suddenly clicked: she was going to be sold. This warranted a burst of adrenaline and a desperate struggle, but without the force she couldn't do anything. The hand moved from her mouth.   
"You can't sell me, I have an owner! Ben Jinn! He's my owner!" she shouted.  
"He ain't no more, so shut up," the man said, slapping a chip patch onto her neck, just below her larynx. She could no longer speak. So she couldn't protest when a man with a medkit walked over and pulled out what looked like a scanning device. _Oh gods, please don't sedate me… _He passed the device over her abdomen once, twice, three times. It beeped in confirmation of something…   
"Okay, this one's sterilized. You can take her now."  
_Sterilized? Please no… Please, please not that…no…  
_She was pushed into a line and watched over carefully. But it wasn't necessary. She was completely numb.  
*


	2. Mad Season Chpt 2

Title: Mad Season Chpt

Title: Mad Season Chpt. 2  
Date: 2001  
Author: Luna  
Disclaimer: See chapter one. Daylon is mine and I love her very much so do not steal her please.   
Author's Note: Here are some things to think about as you read: _  
"I need you now \ Do you think you can cope? \ you've figured me out \ that I'm lost and I'm hopeless \ I'm bleeding and broken \ though I've never spoken \ I come undone…"_ (Lyrics of Mad Season by Matchbox 20)   
In Italian, Ben means 'very'. Very what, I wonder?  
Okay, you may continue now. (Reviews at the end please?)  


*

Obi-Wan felt the loss of her presence abruptly. She was there one minute, and then… nothing.   
//_Daylon? Daylon! //_ Panic started to grab at him as he turned around in the pulsing crowd.   
"Jaq, have you seen Anya?" he asked, grabbing the other man by the arm.  
"No… but we can look for her from up here," he said, pushing Obi-Wan into their private box and pushing the button to elevate them.   
"This is good… a vantage point. Do you see her?"  
"What was she wearing?"  
"White." Obi-Wan muttered, leaning over the railing. Jaq yanked him back.   
"Every woman on the planet is wearing white today! What type of clothes?"  
He paused and thought back to that morning. "… A dress. Long… high slits on both sides. And sort of transparent. Does that help?"  
"Yeah, it might." Jaq looked around disinterestedly. If he could stall Jinn for a while longer, Hash would have Anya all wrapped up and ready to go, and then there would be nothing anyone could do about it.   
"Any sign?" Obi-Wan asked. His heart was racing, pounding in his ears. He had to find her! _If she isn't detectable in the force, that means that she is either dead or near a force repelling device… She can't be dead.  
"_Ben… Ben!" Jaq shouted, shaking him.   
"What? Did you find her?"  
"No. I think that you should let this go and just enjoy the rest of the evening. Get a new girl."  
"You don't understand, Jaq. I have to find her."  
"No, you don't. Look, just because you got a poor servant doesn't mean that you can't replace her."  
Obi-Wan stopped searching and looked at Jaq. "What are you talking about?"  
"I'm talking about the fact that Anya was nice to look at, but she wasn't… active. It's not your fault. Someone sold you a dud, that's all."  
"What did you do?" His tone had changed to dead serious.  
"Nothing…"  
"_What. Did. You. Do."  
"_I set up an arrangement, nothing more…"  
"You _sold _her?" Obi-Wan felt as thought he was choking on the words. Sold. Jaq floundered for a moment, searching for a response. But it was drowned out by a loud shout from the crowd.   
"Gentlemen, we have a new addition to our wares this evening. Twenty-eight year humanoid female, _Anya,_ starting at twenty eight thousand… Do I have twenty nine?" The announcer rattled.  
There she was, standing on the stage in heavy chains.   
If his heart had been pounding earlier, it had stopped a moment ago. Slowly it came back to him, each beat counting off the seconds as he reached for the betting panel. _One… Two…_ He punched in the numbers for a thirty thousand-credit bid. _Seven… Eight… _Other signals went up, each one higher by a thousand. _Ten… Eleven…_ He bid higher, frantically trying to outbid the masses of slave traders. _Fifteen… Sixteen… Seventeen…  
"_One Million credits" a heavy voice called.  
_Eighteen…_silence_  
Nineteen…_he stumbled over the small buttons  
_Twenty…  
_"SOLD!"  
Obi-Wan's heart tightened in his chest. _No, it can't happen, I can't lose her…  
"_Sold for One Million credits to… Kama."  
A great cheer rose up from the crowd. 

"Wow, Kama… that's impressive. Too bad she's no good," Jaq stated.   
"I have to get her back, Jaq. Tell me how I can undo this." Obi-Wan nearly growled.   
"There's nothing anyone can do. No one can reverse Kama's bid."

"I have to try. Where do I go?"

"You have me there, my friend. I've never known anyone to do such a thing…"  
"Where does Kama reside?"

"…It is completely unprecedented…"  
"Where?"  
"…_I_ wouldn't try it…"  
"Jaq!" Obi-Wan grabbed the other man by the collar. "Where will Kama go tonight?"

"To the P-Palace," he stammered.  
"And where is that?"  
"On the South side of the planet, about one hundred miles from here."  
Without another word, Obi-Wan dropped Jaq and began struggling through the already departing crowd. He still could not sense Daylon, but he had seen her being loaded into the curtained box of Kama. But that had been from above. Now that he was on ground level, there wasn't much of a vantagepoint to track the caravan by. The top of it's canopy bobbed as the servants below hoisted it onto their shoulders, and it quickly glided out of view. Obi-Wan pushed harder through the throng, but it seemed as though he was making even less progress. By the time he finally broke through to the open courtyard in front of the auction house, Kama's train was long gone. _Damn_…  
"Pardon me, but how might I reach Kama's palace?" he asked a passing patron. The man just laughed and kept on walking. Obi-Wan asked another man, and another. He even tried asking a woman, but no one would say a word. _How am I going to do this…Think Kenobi. Jaq said South. One hundred miles… I'll just charter a transport.   
_He ran to the nearest shuttle station and asked for a flight to Kama's palace.   
"I'll pay handsomely."  
"I'm sorry…but the area around the palace is a no-fly zone. No one is allowed there unless Kama sends for them personally."  
Disgusted, Obi-Wan left for the street. He would just have to get there himself. The only problem was that he was poorly supplied, without directions, and unfamiliar with the territory. _So it will be challenging…_   
He went back to Jaq's compound to retrieve his lightsaber. Next to it was Daylon's, which he picked up and clipped on his belt, next to his own. She would need it when he found her. Orienting himself against the stars, he set off. 

**

Daylon sat in the back of some sort of vehicle, restrained, gagged, and blindfolded. The force collar was still tight around her neck. She was helpless. At the mercy of the Kama; whoever he was. She tried mental calming exercises to loosen herself from the collar, but it wasn't working. Twisting her neck back and forth almost got her gag off—almost. A rough hand tightened it before it fell. So she kept time in her head, reducing her heart rate to it's calmest—30 beats per minute—and counting off of that. When the vehicle stopped, she had amassed five hours and thirty-two minutes. But since she had no way of knowing their speed, she had no idea of how far they had traveled. 

She was pulled by her arms to her feet and pushed over rough ground to what sounded like a large hall, judging by the echoes of footsteps on a smooth floor. It was hotter than it had been, so perhaps they had traveled south…  
As they moved forward, she could hear drums and some sort of pipes playing. A blast of heat indicated a large fire, and from their concentric movement around the heat, it was in the middle of the room. Finally the blindfold and gag were taken off. She was forced to her knees. Looking up she could see a figure in a chair, but it was hidden in shadows, and indiscernible.   
"Kama?" she ventured.   
"Yes. I am Kama. And you are Daylon Terra, Jedi Knight. Correct?"  
Daylon was shocked. She thought no one had known of their mission. Apparently she had been wrong. She nodded.   
"Speak when you are spoken to."  
"Yes." She said softly. The voice… there was something odd.   
"Have you enjoyed my planet?"

Daylon puzzled for a moment longer and then figured it out. It was a woman! The great Kama of Eros was a woman!   
"Answer me." Kama demanded, her voice hard.   
"Yes, Eros is lovely."  
"But have you enjoyed it?"  
"…Yes."  
"No," Kama yelled. "That is incorrect. I _know _that you have not enjoyed it. It has not yet fulfilled you. Do not lie to me, you will only hurt yourself."  
"How do you know? How did you know about the mission?" Daylon spoke up.   
"Silence! I ask the questions here." She paused, as if deliberating something. "You are particularly strong willed. That may serve you well in the Republic, but here on Eros, I am the only woman with power. Do you understand?"  
"I have no power here. I don't know what you mean."  
"I was like you a long time ago… I was a servant to the first Kama. She took me in, made me who I am. She recognized in me the promise of a ruler of men… I see that talent in you. You could rule many men. _Any men._" She paused again. "You could. Prepare her for the ceremony."  
"Wait! What is this? Explain yourself Kama!" Daylon tried in vain to distract the woman from her purpose as two men carried her to the left. She was still calling out when they dumped her in a room full of other women and removed her chains. Daylon considered running, but one look at the heavily armed guards stationed at every doorway made her think twice. She would just have to bide her time. All of the women were watching her. There were twenty of them, all dressed in elaborate gowns. They were silent for a second, then the room erupted in chatter.   
"So she's the one."  
"She doesn't look like the one."  
"If Kama says she is, she is."  
"We need to hurry, there's a lot of work to be done." Hands touched Daylon gently. They lifted her hair, tugged at her dress, and tilted her face. With some difficulty, she was undressed and placed in a large bath, where the women washed her—despite her protests.   
"What exactly is going on here?" she asked when the chatter died down.  
"We are preparing you for the ceremony."  
"What ceremony?"

"The ceremony of the Equinox. Every fifty years an apprentice is chosen and inducted."  
"And I'm that apprentice?"  
"Yes. You are very lucky you know…"  
"What if I don't want to be Kama's apprentice?"  
The women looked shocked.   
"Why wouldn't you? It is an honor," one stated with a tone of reverence.   
"Maybe for you, but I am a Jedi. I cannot be the next Kama."

Here the women laughed, but did not reply. They rinsed and dried her, applying aromatic balms and salves to her skin. Then they carefully combed out her hair. Surprisingly, Daylon was starting to feel warmth and comfort from these women. Something about them put her at ease.   
"It is very long, your hair." A woman commented.  
"I've been growing it since I was a child." It was long—nearly past her bottom. When she was young it had been straight, but by the time she reached twenty it had thickened and started to grow in waves.   
"We will just trim it a bit…"  
"And give you some layers…"  
"And a conditioning treatment!" The women laughed.  
"What's wrong with the condition of my hair?" Daylon asked.   
"Nothing… it just looks a little…worn. That's all."  
"I am a Jedi, not a polished trinket." She muttered, somewhat insulted. 

"That may be, but things do change."  
In a flurry of movement, Daylon was smothered by many of the girls, who were all doing something to her. A few worked on her face, others on her hair, and still others on her hands and feet.   
_This is so embarrassing…I am not a doll!_

"There! You are finished!"  
"Except for the dress of course,"

"Oh, yes, the dress!"

Many of them flitted off to somewhere, returning a moment later with a handful of fabric. It turned out to be a dress—very simple and white.   
"Why white?" she asked.   
"It is a symbol… of your purity."  
"My purity?"  
"Yes. Your untainted and untapped inner self."  
She wasn't quite sure what to make of that. But there wasn't much time. In a moment, guards came and re-shackled her. They took her back to the hall with the fire. There were many people there… women and men, standing beside each other as equals, something she had not seen before on Eros.   
"Daylon Terra, stand before me." Kama's voice echoed. She did as she was told. "You have been chosen. Do you accept?"  
Daylon prepared for a vehement 'no', but when she spoke, she lost control of her own voice. She heard herself saying yes instead. _No, I meant no! No!_

Kama gestured, and a man brought out a cup filled with a red liquid. Against her will, Daylon picked up the glass and held it high.   
"_Kama te u shala mek tan. Te u shala nuy pa, u shala ker. Kama se, Kama se, Kama se!" _

Daylon found herself repeating the chant, and raising the glass to her lips.   
"Drink, and consummate the pact!" Kama shouted. Daylon winced. There was nothing she could do to fight it. She drank the entire glass. As soon as the last drop had disappeared, she was given back control of her body—and then she passed out.   


**

Obi-Wan slashed through the dense underbrush, a saber in each hand, checking the sky every now and then for navigation. It was nearly dawn, and he hadn't stopped for one second. He couldn't stop. He figured that if he covered three miles an hour through the mess, he could reach the palace in a day and a half. Longer if he stopped. Every second counted, so he decided against rest. He would have rest after he found Daylon and got her out of whatever place she was in. He hated to think what was happening to her. _She's been bought by Kama—the ruler of a sex-obsessed planet. No doubt he's bound her into servitude. And with a force restraint, she can't do a thing to protect herself…_

He had to stop dwelling on that thought though. He needed to concentrate. The sun poked through the treetops now, filtering down to where he was. Hours ago the jungle had started to wake up, and every animal that could make a sound did so, much to Obi-Wan's dismay. _At least they aren't paying attention to me,_ he thought. The last thing he needed was an alien predator hunting him. At that thought he sent out a brush in the force, detecting a large number of small animals, but nothing more. He felt like a child again, asking Qui-Gon when they would get to wherever they were going. "Patience, Obi-Wan," his master would say. _Patience…_

Hours later, drenched in sweat and at the point of exhaustion, Obi-Wan detected a multitude of life forces. They were centered in one location… some sort of dwelling. Kama's palace came into view a few minutes later. It was very large, surrounded by high plaster walls. Security guards patrolled the perimeter, along with a surveillance system. He reached out again, looking for Daylon's distinctive feel in the Force. _Come on, come on… be there Daylon, please…yes!_ There she was, calm and clear.   
//_Daylon, can you hear me?//_  
There was a long pause. _//Yes.//_

//Are you all right? Are you hurt?//  
//No, I am fine, Obi-Wan.//

Something about her absolute calm frightened him. A Jedi was supposed to maintain a sense of serenity… but not like that.   
_//Where are you?// _He asked.   
_//In the palace. Second floor, East wing. //_  
Again, her tone seemed unreal. As though she couldn't care less if he was there or not. He had read something in the Temple Library once about some sort of medical condition… psychological really, in which a hostage begins to sympathize and even care for their captor. Stockholm Syndrome, he believed it was called. Although he had no idea who or where Stockholm was, it did seem probable. But not with a Jedi. So what was it?  
As he pondered this, he slipped to the base of the outer wall, careful to avoid the surveillance detectors. From there he could see the far corner, and the sensor on it. The device was mounted on a moving platform that swept the area in a regular pattern—one cross took eight seconds, then it paused for a second and a half, and returned, taking the same eight seconds. He timed it and jumped. He didn't make it quite to the top, so the last few feet had to be quickly scaled, but he climbed over the edge before the camera spotted him. Crouching so that the guards wouldn't see, he started to move. Remembering what Daylon had said about the East wing, he crawled that way. The first tree he came to was used as a ladder to reach the ground of the inner courtyard. Once there he sighed with relief. _One part down, two to go. _   
The house itself was divided into three sections; a large central building, and two wings. The East one was on the left. There were no windows on the first floor, but the second was lined with arched window-spaces opening to a narrow verandah that wrapped around the entire floor. Beyond that were doors. Glass doors. Obi-Wan used the exotic plants as a cover to reach the wing, where he jumped o the second floor. His hand strayed to his lightsaber.   
"Daylon?" he whispered. //_Daylon, show me where you are.//_

There was no answer. He passed the first door, which was closed and locked. As were the second, third, and fourth doors. But the fifth was open. Billowy curtains hung in front of the opening, blowing in with the breeze. He checked—there was no one in there. Still, he drew his lightsaber to his hand, deactivated but ready. He parted the curtains with his left hand and walked in. The only thing he had time to notice was that it was dark and cool inside, before he saw Daylon, in a fighting stance. Then everything went black.   
Daylon let her foot fall back to the ground. It was a shame to have to do that to him, but it was oddly satisfying to see the look of recognition on his face followed by the look of sharp pain as her foot had made a solid connection with the side of his head. He had fallen with a muffled thump and the clank of his lightsaber against the floor. She snapped her fingers and two men dragged him away. 

**

Obi-Wan woke up in darkness to a dull throbbing in his head. In his whole body, really. The last thing he remembered seeing was Daylon… He couldn't see a thing now. He tried to sit up, but couldn't. A soft yet strong fabric held his wrists and ankles to… a chair. He was sitting up in a chair. Something else was missing… but it was hard to think clearly through the fog in his mind. The pain had blinded him … No, it was something else. He was blindfolded. But he still couldn't see… _The force. I can't feel the force._ Kama must have put one of those collars on him. Now fear joined the pain. If he couldn't use the force, how could he get out? He tried to move again. It wasn't working. "_Control what you can, Obi-Wan." _Qui-Gon's voice spoke clearly in his mind. He started to asses his physical condition so that when he was untied he could make an efficient escape. Tightening his muscles one by one gave him a pretty good picture of his body. His legs were fine, but fatigued—the same went for his arms, chest, and back. His shoulders were killing him. There were numerous scratches and cuts from the jungle, but nothing serious. His neck and head were extremely tender though. _Strange. I don't remember injuring my face…_ Then he remembered Daylon… and the soft current of air by his left cheek. He looked left, and then his vision was skewed as his head snapped right. She had kicked him. That was why he could hardly move his jaw.  
"I'm sorry, Obi. I thought you were one of them." Daylon said. From the sound of her voice, Obi-Wan figured that she was standing across the room. Her footsteps came closer, tapping the hard floor. For the first time, he realized that he was barefoot and shirtless.   
"Your shirt was a mess, and your boots were wet, so I took the liberty." She explained.   
"Why…?" His voice was low and rough, as if it hadn't been used in a while.   
"I told you. You were a wreck."  
"No. Why am I restrained?"  
"Kama's order. I tried to tell her that it wasn't necessary, but—"  
"Her?"  
"Yes, she's a she. Shocking, isn't it." She walked around behind him and brushed her fingers on his wrists. He struggled a little. "You want me to untie you."  
"Yes."  
"I can't. Kama's guards are right outside."  
"That doesn't matter. Just do it."  
"I'm sorry…"  
He sighed. She wasn't herself. "Take the blindfold off then." He said. There was a pause as she deliberated it.   
"Not yet."  
This was maddening to him. It was like she was toying with him.   
"Oh, but you like to be toyed with. I can tell."  
"Daylon, stop this insanity." He pleaded.  
"Insanity? I think not. You came to me, didn't you? You should abide by my rules. Rule number one: do not be rude. You are a guest here."  
"A guest? A prisoner!" He shouted. She moved—he couldn't tell where, but she did.   
"Fine. If you want to be a prisoner, you shall be a prisoner. …Your focus determines your reality I suppose."  
"Daylon stop it!" he yelled. This wasn't her… it wasn't her.  
"I think you need more time. You're still clinging to what you _think_ is going on. I need you to forget that. I need you to forget everything. When you do, I'll be back." She turned and walked back the way she came.   
"No, don't go! Daylon, don't leave me here!"   
He shouted after her until he was hoarse, but she didn't return. The eternal darkness afforded by the blindfold was unbearable. He tried to bide his time, but the darkness was always there. There were periodic bursts of defiance, during which he pulled against his restraints and shouted to anyone who could hear. He was alone thought.   
_//No one to hear you scream. But keep fighting if you want. I'm kind of enjoying it. You are a very strong man Obi-Wan. But each minute you get weaker.//  
_"Stop it! Get out! Get out of my head!" he shouted. He couldn't stand the silence, but having her in him like that, taunting him… it was torture.   
_//Torture? I could show you torture.//  
_"No!" 

__

//Are you sure?//  
"Yes!"  
_// All right. Tell me, what do you want right now?//_  
"To get off this fucking planet!"  
_//Oh my. Whatever happened to keeping a civil tongue in your head?//  
_"Whatever happened to keeping your tongue out of others' heads?"  
_//Touché.//_  
And just like that, she was gone. He was alone again. It was a long time before she returned… six days at least. By that time, Obi-Wan was so tired… the only rest he enjoyed was when he blacked out. He figured that was probably from the hunger, since he hadn't eaten in days. Someone brought him water every once and a while, and he was let up under heavy guard once a day to relieve himself, but aside from that, his world had been brought down to himself, the chair, and the blackness. All he wanted was food, a shower, and a bed. He didn't care in what order, just as long as he got them. He couldn't remember being this worn ever. He couldn't remember much, period. His thoughts were a tangle of snatches of sentences, strung together with sounds of familiar voices. But it was all inside. Outside, it was cool and silent.   
On the seventh day he heard the door swing open and footsteps venture toward him.   
"Daylon?" he croaked. His jaw still hurt.   
"Yes, it's me. How are you feeling?" she asked. Her voice was soft and low.   
"Like hell. I want out…"  
"Shhh, you shouldn't think of that now. I brought you something."   
He heard an object being set down on the floor next to him. Daylon stood behind him. She reached down and touched his face… almost a caress. Carefully avoiding the sore side, she tilted his head back slightly. He was too weak to fight her.

"Open up."

Obi-Wan did as was told, and was rewarded by an apple. He bit into it eagerly, driven by painful hunger. Daylon turned the fruit as he continued to eat, small streams of juice dripping off his chin and onto his chest. In minutes it was gone.   
"Good?" she asked. He r only answer was a delirious groan. She picked up another apple and fed it to him in the same fashion as before. She moved for another, but he shook his head.   
"Water."  
"I only have juice."  
"It doesn't matter."  
She tipped the cup to his lips and he drank the entire glass.   
"Thank you." He breathed.   
"More?"  
"No." His answer was not intentionally laconic, but he couldn't think of what to say.   
She leaned down close to his ear. "What is it that you want?"  
"I should ask you the same thing."  
"I have what I want. What do _you_ want?"   
He remained silent.   
"Funny," she said, walking around him, "I seem to remember you asking for food, a shower, and a bed. We've done the food."  
Something in her voice changed. It was almost malicious, but playful, and it made Obi-Wan tense.   
"Would you like a shower?" she asked. Suddenly Obi-Wan was under a stream of hot water. He was still bound and blinded, but not to the chair—to the wall. He sputtered under the spray.  
"How did…we get here?"  
"I brought us here. It is part of the new me. What do you think, Obi?"  
"This… wasn't…exactly…what I had…in mind."  
"How about a wash?"  
Something light and smooth splattered across his chest. _Soap bubbles…_ Followed by a rough cloth. She washed his arms and shoulders, going very slow and being careful not to aggravate the bruises there. She moved to his chest and stomach… it was making Obi-Wan very nervous. He felt the brush of her fingers at the waist of his pants.  
"Stop."  
"Excuse me?" she laughed.   
"No further."  
"You are in no position to be giving orders. But… all right, I concede. Besides, you need a shave."  
He could still hear the water, and he was still quite drenched, but now he was sitting again. And Daylon was sitting—straddling—his lap. She spread warm lather on the lower portion of his face.   
"Up or down?" she asked.  
"Down on my face, up on my neck."   
She started at his left temple and worked her way over. Obi-Wan guessed that she was using a straight razor from the feel of it. Without his sight, his tactile sense had been enhanced greatly, so that every motion, every slight touch, was felt in amazing clarity. This should have been and aid to his situation, but at the moment he considered it a curse. Each time her hand came in contact with his face it was like a bolt of lightning. And to further confound the circumstances, every few minutes or so she would scoot up his legs nearer to his chest, to keep from sliding off. He had never had to fight so hard for control. As she finished up, she came back to his chin, and he caught himself trembling slightly. Before he could stop she nicked him.   
"Look what you made me do. You're bleeding." She said softly. She sent him a mental image of what she might do to soothe the small wound. That would have been more than Obi-Wan could have endured, and he shook his head. 

"No? Well, what about that bed…"  
Now, completely dry, he was lying on a very soft bed. Tied to the headboard, of course. _Great, _he thought.   
"Daylon?"  
No reply. She didn't seem to be in the room. _Just great…_  
  
**

Daylon smiled as she watched him squirm from her chair across the room. She didn't want him to know she was there yet. It had been a new and strange thing to see him in the holding room, after six days of being left to his own. The hunger and exhaustion had taken a heavy toll on him, not to mention the psychological effects of the blindfold and force-collar. When she had walked in he had barely possessed the strength to look up. And when she had given him food—even though for all he knew, that food could have been poisoned—he didn't fight. He had been broken. She had taken him down to his basest needs, so that he wouldn't even think of trying to escape. Now he was really hers. Helpless… totally helpless. And now that he had gotten his first three wishes, Daylon was curious to know what else he might want.   
He was truly a prize to behold. Stretched out on her own bed, turning his head this way and that… looking for her, no doubt. For a moment, she considered leaving him there for a few hours. Until she retired to bed herself. But no, that would be unnecessary punishment. He had been very good about everything so far. Better than the others… _What others?_ She had never done this to any other man. So where had that distinctive memory come from? It wasn't hers, yet it was without a doubt there. She could see hundreds, all different, some human, most not… But she wasn't a part of the images. They weren't hers. _They must be Kama's. Not mine…_ She tried to recall her own memories, but a searing pain lanced across her mind. Kama's smooth voice followed like a balm, easing her discomfort. _"It is a temporary side-effect, dear. Nothing more. Please, continue."_   
So reassured, Daylon stood and walked over to the bed.   
"How do you feel, Obi?" she asked, seating herself next to him. "Better?"  
"Yes. Much."  
She looked down at his face, still bleeding slightly. The breeze blew the long curtains, creating the soft sound of fabric. The silence between them for that moment was familiar, even if the circumstances were not. It was broken by Obi-Wan's low voice.   
"Am I supposed to sleep now?"  
She laughed. "Not unless you want to. I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to, Obi. Remember that."  
"I will."  
"So what do you want to do now?"  
He paused to think, and choose his words carefully. "If you really meant what you said, then you wouldn't be forcing me to stay here."  
"All you have to do is ask."  
"I did ask!"  
"No, you tried to tell me what to do. You have to ask. But—" she said, cutting him off before he could ask the obvious. "We are going to play a little game. You have to ask nine requests—one for every day you have been here." She straddled his waist again. "And you must use every last one. No more, no less."  
Here she bent over and lightly sucked on his chin, right where the cut was. Then she moved to his lower lip. Obi-Wan tried to turn away, but she held him there.  
"Daylon, stop." He breathed.  
"Is that your first wish?"  
"No—"   
"I didn't think so. Proceed." She continued to kiss him lightly. Obi-Wan struggled to think clearly. He had to start basic if he was to use all nine questions.  
"Will you take of the blindfold?" he asked.  
"Yes…master."  
That word was heard so often in the Jedi Order as to be ordinary, but when uttered by her, it made his heart beat faster. She slowly lifted the covering from his eyes. At first he couldn't see at all, the light was so bright. But after a moment he adjusted, and could now see his captor. She looked like a goddess, with the light coming from behind her and giving her an ethereal corona. A goddess, and at the same time a temptress, as well as a tormentor and his best friend. Her continued kisses along his neck and jaw, combined with the mixed emotions he felt, clouded his train of thought, making it even harder to think of the next request.   
"Will you remove the Force-collar?"   
"Yes," she replied, not moving anything but her hands to do the job. Her face hung inches from his. He heard the click and hiss of the locking mechanism being deactivated. When it finally released its hold on him, it felt like an ocean being dropped on him. Everything he had missed for so long came rushing back. The light felt warm, the breeze smelled of life, he could hear every creature for a mile around. He could see Daylon's aura in the Force. It was so familiar… yet slightly different. Daylon had always evoked a sense of golden violet heat, but now it seemed golden green.   
"Don't like it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure,"  
She kissed him full on the mouth, roughly at first, but then softer.   
"How about now?"  
She drew herself inward and caught their bond in the Force, throwing her entire soul into it. The thin cord that ran between them swelled with white-hot emotion. Obi-Wan could feel everything she felt, see everything she wanted him to see… it was like a holo-vid played at triple speed. He could see how she saw him at that moment, how she controlled him… the bond drove deeper, pulling up older emotions and memories from her mind. All were shared, with an overwhelming sense of love. It was beautiful and shocking to him that so much was in her. The visions changed now to an incoherent jumble of light and Force. The sense of it all changed too, from affection and love to desire—her desire for him. It crossed his mind that the whole thing might be a trick, one of the effects of Kama's influence over Daylon. But somehow he knew that the bond had gone deeper than Kama's spell… it had tapped into the true her, and it was very real. She was still there, even though Kama tried to mask over it. Obi-Wan's heart was pounding, his head pulsing in time. It felt like he was about to pass out, though he knew he wouldn't. The blinding power of the bond subsided slightly, allowing him to see once more. Daylon was still sitting comfortably on him, gazing down with a mix of tenderness and teasing.   
_// Is this you? //_ He asked in awe.   
_// Yes… //_  
Her simple answer—the affirmation to all that he wanted—made him want to scream with joy. She wasn't gone! She was very much there with him, at that moment… and she loved him. As she kissed him again, he responded in kind. They parted only when Obi-Wan presented his next request.   
"Will you untie me?"  
"Finally..." She waved her hand to the side, and he was released from his bonds. His arms' first free action was to encircle Daylon. He knew that the extenuating circumstances made what they were doing technically wrong, but it _felt_ right. Holding her… kissing her… it was an almost spiritual experience. He had never felt the Force as strongly as he did now. It flowed between them and around them, illuminating everything in a golden haze.   
This feeling—this sensation—he never wanted to be without it again. Which was why he had to get her out of here. The longer she stayed, the less chance she ever had of leaving.   
"Daylon… May I have my lightsaber?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.   
"Certainly."  
She never broke eye contact with him, as the saber floated across the room and clipped onto his belt. Her breathing was also ragged. A part of him wanted to make love to her right then, but reason won out, and he continued his plan to escape.   
"May I have your lightsaber…"  
It too came flying to his belt, and found residence next to his own.   
"Five down, four to go." She whispered. Her aura in the Force became more green… a sign that Kama was taking more control.   
_// Save me, Obi-Wan. //_  
He looked at her; looked into her. She was crying out for him… trapped underneath Kama.  
_// I will. //_  
It was an odd phenomenon, to be held captivated by her body, but have to escape it to save her soul.   
"My boots?" he asked. They were on his feet before he even saw them.  
"And?" she prompted. Her eyes were pleading for him to hurry.  
"A shirt."  
It was done.  
"And…"  
"May I have my freedom?" he asked.   
She sat back, a smug smile on her face, but horror in her eyes.   
"That was only eight, Obi. You lose."  
"Wait—I wasn't finished. My ninth request is… that you come with me."  
Her eyes lit up, and her aura returned to violet, as Kama left her.

"Yes! I will!" she said.  
"No, you won't."  
The two were no longer in the bedroom, but at the foot of a great staircase. At the Zenith of which was the throne of Kama.   
"I will not be so easily defeated as that, Kenobi." She said, slowly walking down the mountain of stairs. She was richly dressed, and carried herself very elegantly. As her face came into the light, something sparked familiar in Obi-Wan's mind.   
"Mai Lin…" The missing secretary.   
"Correct, Jedi. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that one out. I am she… she is me." She laughed at her little rhyme.   
"But… how?" he asked.   
"I just changed my appearance. It is no large matter." Here Kama demonstrated her abilities, by morphing into a tall blond woman, where before she had been small and redheaded. "I can even change my gender."  
Now she transformed into a man and walked further down the stairs before changing back to her original state. "I may even duplicate myself, as to be in two places at once." The one woman became two. The first stayed where she was, but the second moved towards a servant near by and walked into her body. The girl's entire appearance changed, from her facial expression to her posture. "This, as you may have guessed, is how I controlled you, Daylon. By replicating my personality over your own."  
"But why?" Daylon asked.  
"Why does anyone do anything? For amusement; adventure. A change of scenery. You probably want the whole story…" A look to Obi-Wan's stern expression confirmed the assessment, and Kama continued.  
"Well, about a year ago, I decided to take a hiatus from Eros. So I ventured out into the universe, where I learned of many things… The republic, the Jedi… the Jedi particularly interested me, so I took a position in the Senate on Coruscant, so that I might… observe your peculiar clan. I became Mai Lin, secretary, because serving is what I do best," here she broke her monologue with a wicked grin.   
"I listened carefully to all the tales of the legendary Jedi abilities, professional and otherwise… So I figured that my next conquest would be a Jedi Knight. Or Master, if I could get one. But it was difficult. You and your Force shielding… After months of failure to even come close, my quest became tedious, and I returned to Eros."  
"But you were reported missing by Senator Maltheson…" Obi-Wan lead.  
"Yes, and suddenly people were looking for me. Just my luck though, who should come to my planet but a superb Jedi Knight," she grinned at Obi-Wan. "Unfortunately you brought along Daylon here, which might have ruined my plans. I knew that I could never get you while she was around, so I just…"  
"Used me!" Daylon spat. The look of contempt on her face was like stone. Kama turned her back.  
"Borrowed you…Just for a little while. I was going to let you go once I had had Kenobi." She turned to face them again. "But you and your dammed bond got in my way! So you will just have to stay here until I figure out how to sever it."  
"You can't keep us here." Obi-Wan stated, his hand moving to his lightsaber.   
"I can keep her—" Kama pointed her finger at Daylon, who promptly collapsed. Obi-Wan bent over her to find that she was only unconscious. "Which means that I get you. It's a two for one deal."  
"No." Obi-Wan picked Daylon up and shifted her onto his left shoulder, while his right hand activated his saber. "You will release us immediately."  
Kama laughed. "Silly man." At this she chuckled harder, closing her eyes momentarily. That was all Obi-Wan needed. He used the force to run before anyone saw him, and he was in the rear courtyard in seconds. The wall was going to be a challenge though… it was to high to jump, but he couldn't scale it with Daylon on his shoulder. Focusing nearly all his energy on her, he lifted her up to the top of the wall and set her down gently. By now the security guards were entering the courtyard, and they started to fire stun bolts at him. Obi-Wan levitated his lightsaber behind his back to deflect their shots while he jumped and climbed the wall. He called his saber back to his hand, picked Daylon up once more, and dropped off the other side, into the jungle. He could hear an alarm blaring in the background, and Kama's voice yelling in fury, but none of that was important. The only goal in Obi-Wan's head was to get to a spaceport before being apprehended. No one was firing at them any more, so he belted his weapon and held tighter to Daylon. Dropping her would not be optimal. He ran through the underbrush, shafts of late afternoon sun filtering down to light the way. Branches, leaves and thorns whipped his arms and chest, tearing through his thin tunic. Daylon's backside was exceptionally well protected by her leather trousers, though, and she did not stir. _Force, Daylon, where did you go?_ She had withdrawn to someplace inside, where he could not even reach her through the force to get her to wake. So he carried her. The trip to Kama's palace days ago had taken him a day and a half, trudging nonstop. He ran for hours. By the disappearance of the sun, Obi-Wan guessed that it was nearing the hour of eleven. His muscles had stopped burning a long while ago, but now they ached. He had the help of the Force, but even that was not enough to entirely put off the overwhelming fatigue that threatened to overtake him. _Just a bit further… Let's see… my usual running speed is about eighteen miles per hour… but that is on a smooth surface, under good conditions. Factor in the uneven ground, plants, Daylon, my poor physical shape… Maybe I am going nine, perhaps ten miles per hour… One hundred miles to cover, seven hours past, at least three to go. Three hours… I've run longer that that already, I can do three hours. Qui-Gon and I would race for prolonged periods of time, though I'm not sure exactly how long… I'm sure it was more than three paltry hours. Come on Kenobi, suck it up… think of home. Coruscant. The Temple… you can do this. _  
He conversed with himself in this manner for some time, until he finally reached the city. It was two thirty in the morning when he staggered into the spaceport and up to the droid at the counter.  
"Welcome to Mik's Off-Planet Transportation Service, I am TC-14. How may I help you?"  
"I need transport to Coruscant, it is very important." He gasped.   
"I am sorry sir, but the next ship to Coruscant does not leave until 9 AM." The droid politely replied.  
"I need it to leave immediately."  
"I'm sorry sir—"  
"Where is the pilot?"  
"Asleep sir, in his office."  
"Where is that?"  
"Down the hall, sir, but I'm afraid that—"  
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said brusquely before stalking down the hall to the pilot's office. He pounded on the door.   
"What! What, I'm sleeping, go away." A muffled voice shouted.   
Obi-Wan knocked loudly with his fist again, and did not stop until the door was opened.   
"What the hell do you want?" The pilot sneered.   
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Knight, and I require an immediate transport to Coruscant."  
"Oh do you now? Well too bad." He turned to slam the door, but Obi-Wan stopped him.   
"It would be considered a favor to the Republic—you would be well rewarded."  
The man looked up. "Rewarded, you say? How much?"  
"10 to 15 thousand credits. Twice the standard rate." Obi-Wan's face was lined with urgency, and the pilot saw this.   
"Well, how about in two hours…"  
"No. Right now. I will not offer again."  
The man realized that the Jedi meant business, and sighed in resignation.   
"Follow me."

They walked down a long passageway, until they came to the hangar door.   
"Your lady friend… she a Jedi too?" he asked, eyeing Daylon's legs hanging over the front of Obi-Wan's shoulder.   
"Yes. We are—were—on a mission. But it has ended rather poorly, and now we need to get off this planet. As soon as possible."  
"I see, I see. We'll be up and into space within twenty minutes."  
_Twenty minutes…_ Obi-Wan thought. Twenty minutes until safety. Twenty minutes until he could let down his guard. Twenty minutes never seemed so long.   


**

"So you did find Mai Lin?" Mace Windu asked, his forehead a wrinkled with inquiry.   
"Yes, Master. She was Kama. Actually, Kama had posed as Mai Lin, in order to… see the galaxy." Obi-Wan explained. It had been three days since their arrival on Coruscant, during which he and Daylon did nothing but recuperate. They had barely spoken to each other…  
"No purpose to the mission, there was then." Yoda grumbled. "A waste it was."  
"Not a waste, Master. We did learn more about the political structure of Eros…"  
"This is true," Yoda conceded.  
"Yes. The information will be an asset to the Republic's Database." Master Windu said.   
"What say you, Daylon?"   
She looked at the green Jedi Master with great respect, but her eyes belied that she did not wish to speak.   
"The council sees that the mission was a success, and that you are both exhausted. Go, rest. May the Force be with you." Mace said, a small twinkle in his eye. Daylon and Obi-Wan bowed, turned, and left the council chambers. In silence, they walked to the door of their quarters. Once inside, Obi-Wan flung himself on the couch.   
"I have never been so tired…"  
"…In your entire life." Daylon finished, sitting down across from him. "Somehow, I doubt that."  
"Yes, well you did not run a ten hour marathon with a Jedi on your back." Obi-Wan chuckled. It was meant in jest, but Daylon didn't laugh.   
"Thank you, Obi-Wan."  
He waved it off.   
"No. You saved me back there. You saved me from myself." She said.   
"I saved you from Kama." He corrected.   
"Obi, those emotions… they were mine."  
"Yours." He ventured.   
"Yes… Kama amplified them, and projected them physically, but… what we shared through our bond…"  
"It was real."  
"Yes." She looked at him, nervously expecting him to either leave or laugh at her.  
"I would never laugh at you." He said earnestly.   
"I… I—"

"I love you."

__

Fin…


End file.
